Find The Right Backup And Recovery

Nero 8

Nero 8 shows off a new interface for getting started that makes the many tools easier to find from the get-go. Some welcome new features include HD support, although this rich suite can still confuse.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP SP1, Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista (64-bit versions), Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, 1 GHz, 8, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, HD-DVD, DVD-ROM, SVGA monitor, 16 bit sound card, 32 MB video memory, Internet connection, 1 GHz, Windows, DirectX 9.0c, Internet Explorer 6.0 or later

WinZip 10 (Standard)

WinZip 10 is a good, user-friendly choice for archiving and backing up files, but for advanced business features, look elsewhere.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 10.0, CD-ROM drive, Windows

WinZip 10 Pro

WinZip 10 is a good, user-friendly choice for archiving and backing up files, but for advanced business features, look elsewhere.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 10.0, CD-ROM drive, Windows

Norton Save & Restore

Despite a few cosmetic negatives and a general lack of technical support, Norton Save & Restore is a decent backup app.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, 300 MHz, CD-ROM, 300 MHz, 300 MHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

CyberLink PowerBackup 2.5

PowerBackup 2.5 does backups well, but it doesn't provide adequate technical support should things go wrong. For small businesses that need a reliable, secure backup program, we recommend WinBackup 2 Professional instead.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 300 MHz Intel Pentium II, 300 MHz, 2.5, SVGA monitor, 300 MHz Intel Pentium II, 300 MHz, Windows

Uniblue Systems WinBackup 2 Professional

WinBackup 2 Professional, a well-designed file-backup program for Windows, is intuitive and powerful; it's a solid buy for small-business owners.

Specs: Complete package, 2.0, CD-ROM drive

Acronis True Image 9

Acronis True Image 9 offers powerful tools for backing up your hard drive, so you can quickly recover from any type of disk disaster.

Norton Ghost 10

Ghost 10 uses sophisticated disk-imaging technology to create a robust, easy-to-use backup tool that protects your data against large and small disasters.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, 300 MHz, 10, CD-ROM, 300 MHz, Windows, Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1, Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

Acronis True Image 8.0

Acronis True Image 8.0 is a first-class imaging program that makes it easy to copy the contents of a hard drive to removable media or to a separate disk or partition. We recommend it.

Norton Ghost 9.0

Norton Ghost 9.0 is a much improved disk imager, particularly now that it performs backup/restore operations without leaving Windows. Even so, Acronis True Image 8.0 is much better for the same money.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 or later, 233 MHz, 9.0, CD-ROM, 233 MHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 or later

Norton GoBack 4.0

While the System Restore utility built into Windows XP is nice, Norton GoBack 4.0 delivers a lot more control and flexibility, making your PC almost glitch-proof.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 166 MHz, 133 MHz, 300 MHz, 4.0, CD-ROM, 166 MHz, 133 MHz, 300 MHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

StuffIt Deluxe 8.5 for Windows

If you work on both the Mac and Windows platforms, it's worth sacrificing some ease of use with StuffIt Deluxe 8.5 for Windows.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 8.5, CD-ROM, Windows

PKWare PKZip for Windows 8.0

PKZip 8.0 offers a wide range of encryption features and an easy-to-use interface, making it a friendly application for small-business users.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 8, CD-ROM, Windows, Internet Explorer 5.0 or later

Dantz Retrospect 6.5 for Windows

Dantz Retrospect 6.5 for Windows Small Business Server is best suited for those new to networks and backups; more experienced users should look elsewhere.

Specs: 1 server, Complete package, Microsoft Small Business Server, 50 MB, 64 MB, 6.5, Windows

Veritas Backup Exec 9.1 for Windows Servers

Backup Exec is an easy-to-use and flexible backup option for small networks.

Specs: 1 server, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Small Business Server 4.5, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Small Business Server 2000, Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Microsoft Server Appliance Kit 2.0 or later, Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6a or later, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6a or later, 9.1, CD-ROM, SVGA monitor, Network adapter, Windows

BrightStor Arcserve Backup Release 11.0 for Windows

A flexible, easy-to-use network backup solution, BrightStor Arcserve 11.0 should grow with your business needs.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP3, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP4, Microsoft Small Business Server 2000, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP3, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP3, Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP4, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP4 or later, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, 350 MHz, 11, CD-ROM, 350 MHz, Windows

WinZip 9.0

WinZip 9.0 is the easiest-to-use and most powerful compression program available. No PC should be without WinZip.

Norton GoBack 3.0

If you have Windows Me, skip this utility. Everyone else, keep handy GoBack around to restore system operation and prevent the needless headache of reinstalling Windows.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 166 MHz, 3, CD-ROM, 166 MHz, Windows

StuffIt Deluxe 8.0

If you work on both the Mac and Windows platforms, StuffIt Deluxe 8.0 for Windows is the best compression app for you.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 20 MB, Intel Pentium, 64 MB, 8.0, Intel Pentium, Windows

Dantz Retrospect Professional 6.0

Retrospect is a meticulously thorough backup app that's sure to please small-business users, but it may be overkill for home users.

Specs: 2 clients, 1 LAN host, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0, 50 MB, 64 MB, 6.0, CD-ROM, Windows